


Holotape

by TheMulletWhisperer



Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout 4
Genre: Angst, Gen, Identity Issues, Identity Reveal, Short, Short One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-28
Updated: 2017-06-28
Packaged: 2018-11-20 02:45:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 877
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11327046
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheMulletWhisperer/pseuds/TheMulletWhisperer
Summary: Some secrets are best left buried.





	Holotape

**Author's Note:**

> This was just a short warmup I did for a bigger post I'm making within the next few days. Have fun reading this incredibly short thing!

“Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio!” Nicky’s voice echoed through the ruins of the home and travelled deep into the fog of Far Harbor. In one hand she held up a jawless skull, her other clutched dramatically to her chest. After a moment of holding her pose, she turned back to her companion with a grin on her face, though she received an abnormally dull look. “Uh...are you ok--”

“More like are  _ you _ okay.” Deacon cut her off rather suddenly, causing her to jump and stutter for words. His tone was unusually sharp and serious. Although she couldn’t see his eyes through the shades he always wore, an educated guess told her that the look in them was just as serious as the line his mouth was drawn in. 

“I’m...uh…” She blinked a few times, recoiling her head and trying to process what had just happened. Placing a palm on her wrapped forearm in an unconscious tic, Nicky shuffled her feet, the black trench coat she wore rustling around the light pants and leather boots she wore. “Yeah?”

“Bull.” The answer came back almost immediately, as if he’d been expecting her to say something. “You’ve been acting weird ever since we got back to the Island. I’ve been in the business long enough to know when someone’s trying to hide something.” 

Charmer swallowed heavily, taking a deep breath in through her nose and darting her eyes around, hoping to God that another gust of wind would fog up her eyeglasses so she didn’t have to look at Deacon’s face. “N-no, I’m fine, I don’t know what--” Cut off once again--this time by actions rather than words--she leaned back towards the wall as he took a step forward, now mere feet away from her. 

“Nicky,” He paused almost as suddenly as he began, looking around warily as-usual for him. “I know it’s tough, alright? But take it from me, bottling shit up doesn’t work very well. Best to get it out to someone you know won’t beat you to death in Goodneighbor.” 

All at once, the agent--that survivor who adapted so seamlessly to everything--broke down on the spot, slumping back and dropping to sit on a crate behind her, shuddering and dipping her head. “I… you’re right.” She took a deep, shaky breath before producing a holotape and turning it around in her fingers. “You were there when DiMA started questioning me about my humanity. Insane, right?” Wordlessly, he nodded and motioned for her to continue.

“Well I just got really curious and I swiped the holotape  I brought back from the Institute when we headed back to base. Made a copy of it. I didn’t remember to check until we were back in Acadia but it’s what I thought it was. All sorts of names and designations on this tiny thing. Recall codes, dates, everything. And my name’s on the list.” She tapped the top of her Pip-Boy, inserting the holotape and shutting the receiver. As the information loaded on screen, she reached around and unlatched the device from her arm and handed it to Deacon, who took it without a word and looked over the text on the screen.

After what seemed like an eternity, he sat down on a crate just next to her, sighing quietly and handing the Pip-Boy back to her. “You know it doesn’t make you any less of a person. Just ask Glory, or Dez. Anyone, really. Except for the Blimp Boys.”

Despite a chuckle, she shook her head, “Glory wasn’t built to replace someone. I’m Nicky but… I’m not. The real Nicky is dead in some Institute corpse pit somewhere and I’m just the machine they crammed the memories into. Maybe I’m Nicky now, I don’t know.” She swallowed heavily and continued after a moment, “It’s not who I am that I’m worried about. Do they know who I am--The Institute? Are they using me to watch the Railroad? Have I… should I just go and not come back?’

“Woah woah woah, back up like, ten steps there.” Deacon put a hand up, the widening of his eyes evident by the rise of the brows. “If they knew where we were I’m  _ pretty _ sure we’d all be dead by now. They only just now knew about Bunker Hill, and the fact that you’re not dead right now means that they don’t know you stopped that attack. Chill, alright? I’ll...talk to Dez, see if there’s something we’re not telling you but seriously, don’t totally freak until we know the whole story.”

There was a prolonged silence between the two, only the sounds of breathing filling the quiet around them. Finally, Nicky spoke, “Alright. I’ll calm down, maybe I’m not thinking, maybe your paranoia is rubbing off on me. I’ll still be freaking out but just… you know, not as much.” The two shared a chuckle and stood up. “Come on, let’s not get ambushed by mirelurks.”

“Awww c’mon, they’re so cute though!”

Wordlessly, Charmer shook her head and stepped over the pile of rubble between her and the outside and was swallowed up by the fog, only the clicking of the geiger counter on her wrist to indicate she was still there.


End file.
